avan and dismounted, the Major
drank some water, and then gave his narrative. "We had several shots on
our side of the river, for the buffaloes had evidently an intention of
crossing over, had we not turned them. We had killed two, when a bull
buffalo charged from the reeds upon Swanevelt, and before he could turn
his horse and put him to his speed, the horns of the buffalo had ripped
up the poor animal, and he fell with Swanevelt under him. The enraged
brute disengaged himself from the horse, and made a second charge upon
Swanevelt; but he twisted on one side, and the horn only grazed him, as
I have mentioned. I then fired and wounded the animal. He charged
immediately, and I turned my horse, but from fright he wheeled so
suddenly that I lost my stirrups, and my saddle turned round.

"I found that I could not recover my seat, and that I was gradually
sliding under the horse's belly, when he passed under a tree, and I
caught a branch and swung myself on to it, just as the buffalo, which
was close behind us, came up to me. As he passed under, his back hit my
leg; so you may imagine it was 'touch and go.' The animal, perceiving
that the horse left him, and I was not on it, quitted his pursuit, and
came back bellowing and roaring, and looking everywhere for me.

"At last it perceived Swanevelt, who had disengaged himself from the
dead horse, and was sitting under the tree, apparently much hurt, as he
is, poor fellow, although not seriously. It immediately turned back to
him, and would certainly have gored him to death, had not Kloet, who was
up in a tree, fired at the animal and wounded him mortally--for his
career was stopped as he charged toward Swanevelt, and was not ten yards
from him. The animal could proceed no further, and there he stood until
he fell dead."

"We saw that portion of the adventure ourselves, Major," said Swinton;
"and now we will tell you our own, which has been equally full of
incident and danger." Swinton having related what had passed on his side
of the river, the Major observed:

"You may talk about lions, but I'd rather go to ten lion-hunts than one
more buffalo-hunt. I have had enough of buffaloes for all my life."

"I am glad to hear you say so," replied Swinton, "for they are most
ferocious and dangerous animals, as you may now acknowledge, and the
difficulty of giving them a mortal wound renders the attack of them very
hazardous. I have seen and heard enough of buffalo-hunting to tell yo